Hope Waddell Training Institute
Encyclopedia
The Hope Waddell Training Institute (HWTI) is a school in Calabar
, Cross River State
, Nigeria
founded by missionaries from the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
in 1895. It is named after the Reverend Hope Masterton Waddell.
The Scottish missionary Mary Mitchell Slessor, who had done much work with the Efik people around Calabar, was a driving force behind the establishment of the Institute.
Edinburgh was hesitant about accepting Slessor demand to establish an industrial training center, but eventually decided to set up an institute on similar lines to its two existing ones in Africa, Lovedale Institute in South Africa and Livingstonia
in Nyasaland
.
Robert Laws
, a United Presbyterian minister who had been involved with both of these institutions for a long time, was sent to make a feasibility study.
Laws expressed complete confidence that the success of the other two schools could be replicated in Calabar.
The institute was established in 1894.
The first school building was a prefabricated classroom block of corrugated iron sheets and Scandinavian pitch pine, built by a Glasgow firm and shipped to Calabar where it was assembled in 1894.
By March 1895 teaching had commenced.
By 1900 the school had forty-two students.
Two were doing gardening, five printing, eight tailoring, five engineering, eleven carpentry and eleven baking.
According to Henry Carr the boys were "well disciplined, and their appearance... cheerful and healthy." They generally spoke English well and had good penmanship.
However, the instruction programs were somewhat haphazard, dictated by whatever job the department was undertaking at any given time.
The school was more expensive that other missions, since it required machinery for industrial training, and by 1902 the mission was forced to accept government funding.
As the school became established, competition for places became intense since graduates were guaranteed employment by the government, the mission or other local businesses, or had the opportunity to go on to higher studies.
The balance of pupils, at first dominated by coastal communities, gradually shifted to include more from the hinterland. In 1919 the school had 31 Ibibio
pupils compared to 82 Efik.
By 1927 there were over 50 Ibibio pupils and by 1931 86 Ibibio, with 119 Efik.
But students came to the school from all over West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Dahomey, the Cameroons and Fernando Po.
The school maintained a vessel on the Calabar River
, "The Diamond" for use by students studying maritime subjects.
The region of Calabar called Diamond Hill takes its name from the vessel.
In 1898 the school began teaching tailoring and bakery, with the products sold in the city markets.
Agricultural students who worked on maintaining the botanical gardens and public parks in Calabar were given free board, clothing and tuition and some pocket money.
They showed that new plants to the region including mango, banana, coffee and especially lemon and orange could flourish, although local farmers resisted these innovations.
In 1902, Rev. James Luke introduced soccer into the timetable despite opposition by parents, who thought it was a waste of time.
Luke defended the sport as being healthy and teaching children cooperation and self discipline.
In the first two decades of the twentieth century, many Hope Waddell graduates moved to Lagos
, from 1906 the capital of the new Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, to take white-collar jobs with the government. They brought with them their love of soccer, fostering the growth of teams in the city.
Luke, who had picked up the game during seven years as a missionary in Jamaica, could thus perhaps be credited with introducing soccer to Nigeria.
A large wharfedale flat-bed printing press was donated by "friends in Scotland" in 1903 and was still in use after 1960. Students worked in the print works and also as journalists on the Observer, Calabar's first newspaper, which was produced on the mission press.
In 1903 the HWTI added classes in typing, shorthand, bookkkeeping, business management and commerce.
The school also included a standard all-ages school section giving primary and secondary education, with fees required for secondary school students. In 1921 Calabar was designated by the government as a secondary examination center for the Cambridge Local Examination. That year eight students passed the examiniation out of fourteen candidates from HWTI, which was considered an excellent result.
Today it basically runs a grammar school curriculum.
The buildings were allowed to deteriorate, the gardens were neglected, and of 2,000 students less than 200 are boarders.
In 1994 the Old Boys Association launched a program to rehabilitate the school, with a fund-raising drive.
Goals were to tar the access roads, install an electricity generator, renovate the science laboratories, equip the school library and erect a statue of Hope Waddell.
By 2005, most of these goals had been met.
Calabar
Calabar is a city in Cross River State, southeastern Nigeria. The original name for Calabar was Atakpa, from the Jukun language....
, Cross River State
Cross River State
Cross River State is a coastal state in southeastern Nigeria, bordering Cameroon to the east. Its capital is at Calabar, and it is named for the Cross River , which passes through the state...
, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
founded by missionaries from the United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
United Presbyterian Church of Scotland
The United Presbyterian Church of Scotland was a Scottish Presbyterian denomination. It was formed in 1847 by the union of the United Secession Church and the Relief Church, and in 1900 merged with the Free Church of Scotland to form the United Free Church of Scotland, which in turn united with...
in 1895. It is named after the Reverend Hope Masterton Waddell.
Establishment and growth
Edinburgh was hesitant about accepting Slessor demand to establish an industrial training center, but eventually decided to set up an institute on similar lines to its two existing ones in Africa, Lovedale Institute in South Africa and Livingstonia
Livingstonia
Livingstonia or Kondowe is a town located in the Northern Region district of Rumphi in Malawi. It is 270 miles north of the capital, Lilongwe. The town of Mzuzu can be reached on tarred road in about 2-3 hours....
in Nyasaland
Nyasaland
Nyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
.
Robert Laws
Robert Laws
Dr Robert Laws was a Scottish missionary who headed the Livingstonia mission in the Nyasaland Protectorate for more than 50 years. The mission played a crucial role in educating Africans during the colonial era...
, a United Presbyterian minister who had been involved with both of these institutions for a long time, was sent to make a feasibility study.
Laws expressed complete confidence that the success of the other two schools could be replicated in Calabar.
The institute was established in 1894.
The first school building was a prefabricated classroom block of corrugated iron sheets and Scandinavian pitch pine, built by a Glasgow firm and shipped to Calabar where it was assembled in 1894.
By March 1895 teaching had commenced.
By 1900 the school had forty-two students.
Two were doing gardening, five printing, eight tailoring, five engineering, eleven carpentry and eleven baking.
According to Henry Carr the boys were "well disciplined, and their appearance... cheerful and healthy." They generally spoke English well and had good penmanship.
However, the instruction programs were somewhat haphazard, dictated by whatever job the department was undertaking at any given time.
The school was more expensive that other missions, since it required machinery for industrial training, and by 1902 the mission was forced to accept government funding.
As the school became established, competition for places became intense since graduates were guaranteed employment by the government, the mission or other local businesses, or had the opportunity to go on to higher studies.
The balance of pupils, at first dominated by coastal communities, gradually shifted to include more from the hinterland. In 1919 the school had 31 Ibibio
Ibibio people
The Ibibio are a people of southeastern Nigeria. They are related to the Anaang and the Efik peoples. During colonial period in Nigeria, the Ibibio Union asked for recognition by the British as a sovereign nation . The Annang, Efik, Ekid, Oron and Ibeno share personal names, culture, and traditions...
pupils compared to 82 Efik.
By 1927 there were over 50 Ibibio pupils and by 1931 86 Ibibio, with 119 Efik.
But students came to the school from all over West Africa, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Dahomey, the Cameroons and Fernando Po.
Early curriculum
The school provided practical training to male students in carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, coopering, naval engineering, brickmaking and bricklaying. Female students were taught dress-making and tailoring, domestic science and accountancy. The school soon became the largest vocational training institution in West Africa.The school maintained a vessel on the Calabar River
Calabar River
The Calabar River in Cross River State, Nigeria flows from the north past the city of Calabar, joining the larger Cross River about to the south. The river at Calabar forms a natural harbor deep enough for vessels with a draft of ....
, "The Diamond" for use by students studying maritime subjects.
The region of Calabar called Diamond Hill takes its name from the vessel.
In 1898 the school began teaching tailoring and bakery, with the products sold in the city markets.
Agricultural students who worked on maintaining the botanical gardens and public parks in Calabar were given free board, clothing and tuition and some pocket money.
They showed that new plants to the region including mango, banana, coffee and especially lemon and orange could flourish, although local farmers resisted these innovations.
In 1902, Rev. James Luke introduced soccer into the timetable despite opposition by parents, who thought it was a waste of time.
Luke defended the sport as being healthy and teaching children cooperation and self discipline.
In the first two decades of the twentieth century, many Hope Waddell graduates moved to Lagos
Lagos
Lagos is a port and the most populous conurbation in Nigeria. With a population of 7,937,932, it is currently the third most populous city in Africa after Cairo and Kinshasa, and currently estimated to be the second fastest growing city in Africa...
, from 1906 the capital of the new Protectorate of Southern Nigeria, to take white-collar jobs with the government. They brought with them their love of soccer, fostering the growth of teams in the city.
Luke, who had picked up the game during seven years as a missionary in Jamaica, could thus perhaps be credited with introducing soccer to Nigeria.
A large wharfedale flat-bed printing press was donated by "friends in Scotland" in 1903 and was still in use after 1960. Students worked in the print works and also as journalists on the Observer, Calabar's first newspaper, which was produced on the mission press.
In 1903 the HWTI added classes in typing, shorthand, bookkkeeping, business management and commerce.
The school also included a standard all-ages school section giving primary and secondary education, with fees required for secondary school students. In 1921 Calabar was designated by the government as a secondary examination center for the Cambridge Local Examination. That year eight students passed the examiniation out of fourteen candidates from HWTI, which was considered an excellent result.
Later years
After independence in 1960, followed by closure of the Presbyterian mission, the school became a standard state secondary school.Today it basically runs a grammar school curriculum.
The buildings were allowed to deteriorate, the gardens were neglected, and of 2,000 students less than 200 are boarders.
In 1994 the Old Boys Association launched a program to rehabilitate the school, with a fund-raising drive.
Goals were to tar the access roads, install an electricity generator, renovate the science laboratories, equip the school library and erect a statue of Hope Waddell.
By 2005, most of these goals had been met.
Early principals
Principals up to the 1960s were:| Principal | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| W.R. Thompson | Scottish | 1895 - 1902 |
| James Luke | Scottish | 1902 - 1907 |
| J.K. Macgregor | Scottish | 1907 - 1943 |
| E.B. Jones | Scottish | 1943 - 1945 |
| N.C. Macrae | Scottish | 1945 - 1952 |
| J.A.T. Beattie | Scottish | 1952 - 1957 |
| Sir Dr. Francis Akanu Ibiam Francis Akanu Ibiam Akanu Ibiam was a distinguished medical missionary who was appointed Governor of Eastern Region, Nigeria from December 1960 until January 1966 during the Nigerian First Republic.... |
Igbo | 1957 - 1960 |
| B.E. Okon | Efik | 1960 - 1967 |
Notable Alumni
- Eni NjokuEni NjokuBorn on November 6, 1917 in Ebem, Ohafia, Abia State, Professor Eni Njoku was educated at Ebem Primary School and attended Hope Waddell Training Institute, Calabar between 1933 and 1936. He went to Yaba Higher School Lagos in 1937.Eni Njoku studied botany at the University of Manchester in England...
(b. 6 November 1917), first vice-chancellor of the University of Lagos - John OgbuJohn OgbuJohn Uzo Ogbu was a Nigerian-American anthropologist and professor known for his theories on observed phenomena involving race and intelligence, especially how race and ethnic differences played out in educational and economic achievement. He suggested that being a "caste-like minority" affects...
(9 May 1939 – 20 August 2003), Nigerian-American anthropologist and professor - Kingsley O. Mbadiwe (1915-1990), nationalist, politician, statesman and former government minister.
- Dennis OsadebayDennis OsadebayDennis Chukude Osadebay was a Nigerian politician, poet, journalist and former premier of the now defunct Mid-Western Region of Nigeria, which now comprises Edo and Delta State...
(29 June 1911 — 26 December 1994), politician, poet, journalist and premier of the Mid-Western Region of Nigeria. - Akanu Ibiam (1906–1995), medical missionary, Governor of Eastern Region, Nigeria (December 1960 - January 1966).
- Anya Oko AnyaAnya Oko AnyaProfessor Anya Oko Anya is a Nigerian professor of Biology who is distinguished for his work in Parasitology.- Early life :Anya Oko Anya was born on 3rd January 1937 at Abiriba, Abia State of Nigeria....
(b. 3 January 1937), professor of Parasitology - Eyo ItaEyo ItaEyo Ita was a Nigerian politician from Cross River State who was the leader of the Eastern Government of Nigerian in 1951. He was one of the earliest Nigerian students who studied in the United States instead of the frequent route of studying in United Kingdom...
(b. 1904), leader of the Eastern Government of Nigeria in 1951 - Dr. Nnamdi AzikiweNnamdi AzikiweBenjamin Nnamdi Azikiwe , usually referred to as Nnamdi Azikiwe and popularly known as "Zik", was one of the leading figures of modern Nigerian nationalism who became the first President of Nigeria after Nigeria secured its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 October 1960; holding the...
(16 November 1904 – 11 May 1996), Nigeria’s first president, - Vice Admiral Edet Akinwale Wey, Chief of Naval Staff and later Chief of Staff Supreme Headquarters.